I recently watched a video of an exchange that took place in a committee meeting of the Irish Parliament about the legalization of physician-assisted suicide. The exchange was between a young Irish parliamentarian and an expert on medical ethics invited by the committee to testify. The parliamentarian was demanding that the expert explain on whatContinue reading “Why Laws Matter “
Category Archives: Other
Planning for the End
Last Saturday we welcomed several speakers to give presentations on making end-of-life decisions. One spoke of the importance of having an Advanced Medical Directive and designating a Health Care Representative who has authority to make medical decisions on behalf of an incapacitated patient. Another talked about what’s involved in purchasing a cemetery plot and theContinue reading “Planning for the End “
Finding Wisdom in the Desert
Roman persecution of Christianity ended when the Emperor Constantine legalized Christianity in 313 AD. Suddenly, to be Christian was to share the religion of the emperor and his mother, which made it socially respectable, even advantageous. Some saw spiritual danger in this development, worrying that it would lead to a soft Church that made friendsContinue reading “Finding Wisdom in the Desert “
The God of Bethesda
Central Park is one of the great landmarks of Manhattan. In a recent article published in the journal First Things, John Byron Kuhner gives a virtual tour of the park that culminates with a description of a terrace, at the center of which “is a large circular pool, whence rises an elaborate fountain, of theContinue reading “The God of Bethesda”
Alma Mater
This weekend I will be away from the parish, attending my college class reunion. Twenty-five years ago, I graduated from the University of Dallas (UD), a small Catholic university located in Irving, TX. It was an unlikely choice for an 18-year-old from Connecticut, but I had a cousin studying there whom I visited as aContinue reading “Alma Mater “
Cardinals
Next Saturday, September 30, Pope Francis will install 21 new members of the College of Cardinals. A Cardinal of the Church is a senior member of the Catholic clergy whose most important responsibility is to elect a new pope when the reigning pontiff dies or resigns. Most Cardinals are bishops, though not all. Popes occasionallyContinue reading “Cardinals “
Keeping Time
While January 1 marks the beginning of the calendar year, and July 1 is the beginning of the fiscal year, and the first Sunday of Advent is the beginning of the liturgical year, Labor Day marks the end of summer and the beginning of another school year. I imagine that for most parents these daysContinue reading “Keeping Time “
Fr. Coley Palmer, R.I.P.
On August 14, Fr. Michael “Coley” Palmer passed away at the age of 86. Fr. Palmer was born in Stamford in 1934 and was baptized at St. John’s Church on Atlantic St. When he was still a boy, his family moved to Springdale where they became members of St. Cecilia Parish when the church wasContinue reading “Fr. Coley Palmer, R.I.P. “
Living Together
A few months ago, the Institute for Family Studies published “How Moving in Together Makes It Harder to Know if He’s the One,” an article by Scott Stanley and Galena Rhoades, research professors at the University of Denver. The authors note that more than 75% of couples live together before marriage. While a couple’s decisionContinue reading “Living Together “
Conversion
“A personal encounter with the real mystery of a personal God is at the heart of every conversion,” writes Fr. Donald Haggarty in his book Conversion. Years ago, as a deacon, I was responsible for a Bible study at a local parish, and we usually had about 5-6 people attend each week. About four monthsContinue reading “Conversion “
The Parish of St. Cecilia-St. Gabriel 